Topic 9 - Weeks 13 and 14 - Peer Review and Assessment

21st Century education has brought with it many changes for both our students and our teachers. School reform (redesign) has asked our educators to use the newest of teaching pedagogy with the purpose of creating well-rounded students who will be ready for today’s changing world. Concepts such as personalization, authentic learning, collaboration, inquiry-based learning and reflection have been introduced to create more learning among our students than the so called “traditional” way of teaching.

With this changing culture in our schools, it is essential to change the way we assess students as well. Gone are the days of only using one method of assessment - the assessment OF learning (summative). Yes, this method of assessment is still vital to judge the student’s level of knowledge but it is not enough to just assess the student’s progress. Different assessment methods must be used in our classrooms to help students learn. Formative assessment (assessment FOR learning) may be used to show students how to improve their learning as the work is progressing. Feedback that allows students to improve and change their work before the finished product is handed in is essential. Assessment AS learning may also be used to give students the opportunity to use assessments to increase their own learning. Examples of this are peer assessments that allows “students to reflect on their own learning and identify areas of strength and need” (Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools 2010).

Although the changing assessment requirements are still new to my teaching repertoire, I have tried to incorporate all three assessment methods mentioned above to some extent in my classroom. The method I need the most work on is the assessment AS learning. I have tried to have students review their peers work but, as yet, the students have not done great job of this. Students feel it is a waste of time. Students also feel the sense of “not hurting another’s feelings” and, therefore, do not review the work objectively. Moving forward, I will continue to use this type of assessment, however, I will make changes to its delivery. One technique I will try is the Critical Friends Tuning Protocol. This peer review technique focuses on developing collegial relationships, encouraging reflective practice, and rethinking leadership. A second technique that may be worth trying over time is the CPR - Calibrated Peer Review.

Peer reviews can be used in many situations during the school year. PBL, group work and practice presentations are just a few of these situations but no matter the technique used to aid in the development of peer review assessment in the classroom, it is important to adhere to the following four points. The class must have and use a strong model that works for the teacher and the students, the teacher must create a culture of critique in the classroom so students feel safe and accepting of criticism, the class must have clearly defined expectations and the teacher must explain the benefits of these types of reviews.